Air is made up of approximately 20 percent oxygen and 80 percent nitrogen. The oxygen in the air is used as an oxidizer to support combustion of the fuel. When air is used for internal combustion purposes, nitrogen is basically inert in that it does not contribute to the combustion of fuel. The nitrogen is compressed and exhausted along with the oxygen, while occupying combustion chamber volume and consuming energy (compression and heating) without any contribution to the combustion process.
If the ratio of oxygen to nitrogen of the air supplied to the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine is somehow increased above typical ambient ratios, the combustion chamber would need less volume of this oxygen-enriched air in order to support the same amount of combustion of fuel. For example, if the air was enhanced to about a 40/60 oxygen/nitrogen ratio, only about half of the volume of this oxygen-enhanced air would be needed in order to support about the same amount of combustion of fuel, as compared with the about 20/80 ratio of typical ambient air. A smaller combustion chamber volume and thus a smaller engine could be fabricated that would produce about the same power using this oxygen-enriched air as compared with a bigger engine using ambient air. At the same time, the smaller engine would save consumption of fuel due to lower engine weight and more complete combustion. The smaller engine would also be cheaper to build because it requires less material for fabrication.
In addition, a higher oxygen level in the combustion chamber would reduce carbon monoxide (CO) emissions, hydrocarbon and NOX emission by acting as if the fuel was oxygenated. A higher oxygen level in the intake air would make it unnecessary to have oxygenated fuel and thus the fuel would be less expensive at a given level of emission. This would make vehicle operation less expensive. Another benefit would be a reduced or no need for a catalytic converter due to lower emissions using oxygen-enriched intake air at a given emission level. Since the engine with given power production level is smaller, there would be more room in the automobile to be used for other purposes, such as storing batteries and other equipment needed for hybrid vehicles.
Methods and apparatus for the oxygen enrichment of intake air for internal combustion engines are needed in the art.